The present invention relates, in general, to an apparatus for generating ultraviolet rays and ozone using microwaves and, more particularly, to an apparatus for radiating ultraviolet rays and ozone generated by microwaves to potable liquids such as purified water, milk and juice to sterilize the potable liquids and to eliminate organic impurities contained in the potable liquids.
In general, potable liquids such as purified water, milk and juice, which is produced in large quantities to be supplied to consumers, are sterilized in various methods. Among the methods, a method for radiating ultraviolet rays or ozone to potable liquids to sterilize the liquids is well known. However, an apparatus for implementing the method is usually comprised of an ultraviolet radiator and an ozone radiator, both of which are manufactured separately from each other. Though there are combinations of the both radiators being used, ultraviolet lamps, which are employed in conventional ultraviolet radiators to generate ultraviolet rays, are operated by a voltage applied to electrodes, and are complicated in installations and structures thereof.
Moreover, though ozone radiators employ ultraviolet lamps, the ozone radiators have disadvantages in that it is impossible to efficiently penetrate ozone into objects to be treated. In particular, where it is required to sterilize a large amount of water as in swimming facilities, sterilization of water depends on only addition of chemicals because it is difficult to apply ultraviolet rays or ozone sterilization methods. Furthermore, since the chemicals used for sterilization are harmful to the human body, this sterilization method has been regarded as a serious problem.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for generating ultraviolet rays and ozone using microwaves to sterilize potable liquids such as purified water, milk and juice to efficiently sterilize the potable liquids.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for generating ultraviolet rays and ozone using electrodeless ultraviolet lamps, which are activated by microwaves.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for generating ultraviolet rays and ozone using microwaves, which is adapted to sterilize and purify water in swimming facilities such as swimming pools as well as potable liquids.
In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides an apparatus for generating ultraviolet rays and ozone using microwaves, which includes a housing having an upper liquid inlet and a lower liquid outlet and defines a sterilization chamber therein, comprising: a transparent partition wall disposed in the housing and defining the sterilization chamber; a plurality of electrodeless ultraviolet lamps mounted on the transparent partition wall such that the front faces of the electrodeless ultraviolet lamps face the sterilization chamber; a plurality of wave guides attached to the back faces of the electrodeless ultraviolet lamps, respectively, and widened toward the ultraviolet lamps; a plurality of microwave generator units attached to back ends of the wave guides; an air inlet pipe disposed at a bottom of the sterilization chamber and connected to a fine air bubble generator; and an air outlet pipe disposed at a top of the sterilization chamber.